Microsoft release a Firefox plugin enabling H.264 support
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Microsoft release a Firefox plugin enabling H.264 support
1–10 of 38 posts
Re: Microsoft release a Firefox plugin enabling H.264 support
#2The plugin is Windows only.
http://www.interoperabilitybridges.com/html5-extension-for-w...
Re: Microsoft release a Firefox plugin enabling H.264 support
#3I think it's obvious why thy did this. They don't want Google's open source WebM codec to become the norm so they're going to push even harder for h.264.
The whole Internet is better off in the end if it's built only on open source and free stuff.
Re: Microsoft release a Firefox plugin enabling H.264 support
#4I think it's obvious why thy did this. They don't want Google's open source WebM codec to become the norm so they're going to push even harder for h.264. The whole Internet is better off in the end if it's built only on open source and free stuff.
It'd be trivial for them to implement any open codec support.
Thus, no, it's not obvious.
Re: Microsoft release a Firefox plugin enabling H.264 support
#5I think it's obvious why thy did this. They don't want Google's open source WebM codec to become the norm so they're going to push even harder for h.264. The whole Internet is better off in the end if it's built only on open source and free stuff.
WebM is not that great technically (http://x264dev.multimedia.cx/archives/377) and is unlikely to remain royalty-free if it ever takes off as there are many patents that could apply to it's code.
H.264 will play in both flash and the browser. It's a standard codec that is used in most workflows already. On top of that, MPEG-LA has announced it will always be royalty free for video that is free to end users (http://www.macworld.com/article/153692/2010/08/h264_royaltie...).
There's no reason for Firefox and Opera to not pick up H.264. It is the only choice that makes sense if HTML5 video is going to take off, and they are holding the web back. Thumbs up to Microsoft for actually trying to push us forward this time.
Re: Microsoft release a Firefox plugin enabling H.264 support
#6I think it's obvious why thy did this. They don't want Google's open source WebM codec to become the norm so they're going to push even harder for h.264. The whole Internet is better off in the end if it's built only on open source and free stuff.
How would WebM harm or H.264 help Microsoft? IMO no speculation like this is obvious without some kind of salable explanation of motive.
Re: Microsoft release a Firefox plugin enabling H.264 support
#7I think it's obvious why thy did this. They don't want Google's open source WebM codec to become the norm so they're going to push even harder for h.264. The whole Internet is better off in the end if it's built only on open source and free stuff.
They're not sitting around a conference table in an underground bunker, stroking their beards and cackling maniacally while trying to screw the open source community as hard as possible. Microsoft is a business. What business sense does it make to release this plugin?
Re: Microsoft release a Firefox plugin enabling H.264 support
#8I think it's obvious why thy did this. They don't want Google's open source WebM codec to become the norm so they're going to push even harder for h.264. The whole Internet is better off in the end if it's built only on open source and free stuff.
WebM is not that great technically ( http://x264dev.multimedia.cx/archives/377 ) and is unlikely to remain royalty-free if it ever takes off as there are many patents that could apply to it's code. H.264 will play in both flash and the browser. It's a standard codec that is used in most workflows already. On top of that, MPEG-LA has announced it will always be royalty free for video that is free to end users ( http:/…
> (...) and is unlikely to remain royalty-free (...)
The argument that there may be lurking patent issues in WebM doesn't carry a lot of weight, I think, unless they are actually demonstrated. After all, couldn't you say that about absolutely any software?
Re: Microsoft release a Firefox plugin enabling H.264 support
#9I think it's obvious why thy did this. They don't want Google's open source WebM codec to become the norm so they're going to push even harder for h.264. The whole Internet is better off in the end if it's built only on open source and free stuff.
They're not sitting around a conference table in an underground bunker, stroking their beards and cackling maniacally while trying to screw the open source community as hard as possible. Microsoft is a business . What business sense does it make to release this plugin?
Just thinking out loud, but if this codec becomes dominant, and is only released by Microsoft on the Windows platform, perhaps it's another reason to prefer Windows over OSX?
Re: Microsoft release a Firefox plugin enabling H.264 support
#10I think this article overlooks the fact that outsourcing media playback to environment specific codecs (WM9/VLC/etc) has been around for ages.
by the time html5 video is widespread each user will likely have several media plugins installed willing to play h264 video for them in any browser.
I'm talking about quicktime, realplayer, vlc, and windows media, among others - This is SO not a big deal